


Serandor (Unedited)

by Leopardsnake



Series: Serandor [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Bad Humor, Dragons, Dwarves, Elves, Fantasy, Found Family, Gen, Goblins, Humans, Humor, M/M, Selkies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-05-31 06:47:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19420651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leopardsnake/pseuds/Leopardsnake
Summary: Serendipity has always been a simple Dragon. She loves her parents, she likes shiny things, and she likes to cause mischief. She wouldn't mind wiling her days away helping her parents in the smithy and shop, but when the chance for adventure makes itself known. Who is she to deny it?





	1. A Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This is my main WIP right now. I'lll come back and edit this one of these days but for now, yinz get the unedited version.

“Stay away from the tavern.”

Her Father had told her. She had grinned up at him, sharp and feral, and clutched her package to her chest with clawed hands.She could tell he knew she wasn’t going to listen to him with the way her eyes had twinkled. Thinking back, that had to be the exact moment she decided to disobey him. So, in theory, it was his fault she started on the quest of her life.

But first, let’s go back to the beginning. Serendipity was given a package to deliver by her Pa, Robyn. Her gross, sweaty, working Pa. His long red hair piled into a bun atop his head. He had grinned his knife filled smile at her as he handed it to her. “Say bye to your Father before you go." He had demanded with a pet to her head. Never mind that they were almost the same height these days.

She had grinned back at him with merry eyes twinkling with all sorts of mischief. “Of course, Pa.” Then scampered off to do as she was told.

Serendipity found her Father manning, or dragoning, the shop in her Pa’s absence. Though it wasn’t busy at the time. It never was early in the morning, except for special occasions. Even after the one time a Prince had visited.

“Serendipity.” A customer said with a nod as they passed each other. She nodded back despite having no memory of him. She clutched her package tighter and kept walking.

“Father. I must deliver a package for, Pa.” She explained without greeting. She waited patiently for her Father to scold and fuss over her. She knew he did it because he cared. She still didn’t have to like it.

“ Of course, Daughter.” Her Father, Guy, agreed with a slow blink of his golden eyes. He eyed her critically, reaching out to smooth one of her long green braids before gripping her chin. “Watch who you speak to. No light fingers. Stay away from the tavern.”

Serendipity grinned widely. Eyes twinkling not unlike her Pa’s. “Of course, Father.” A bubble of amusement bloomed in her chest. She hopped from foot to foot.

Father waved her away with a gold scaled hand and she scattered away. One mission complete. Now she only had the package to deliver and she would be free to roam for a bit of time. She focused on it. It was light, but knowing the customer, it was probably a knife of some sort.

The target of the delivery was a regular. A mister Delphi. The old man enjoyed spoiling his grandchildren and especially his grandson’s lover, with weaponry.Pa said it was because his grandchildren skipped the family legacy of hunting. So he focused on one that did follow the legacy. Whatever that meant. She didn’t care one way or another. 

Getting to one Mister Delphi’s abode meant crossing to the other side of town. The rich side of town. Which meant Serendipity could haunt the fancier taverns and get even better stories. Stories like her Father’s. Stories full of travels and adventure and treasure of some sort. Stories that didn’t end with her parents staring hazily at each other, the secret romantics they were.

The downside of delivering to the Delphi residence was all the stares she attracted. She always tried to ignore them, bit it’s hard not to when she is staring back at them. She didn’t often see Elves or other highborn folk in her area of town. Even with her family’s shop. They usually sent servants and such to retrieve their items. She quickened her step when she noticed a heavily armored guard eyeing her.

Luckily for her, the Delphi’s lived not far from the beginning of the high class area. She knocked, hammered really, at the servants door. The louder she was the sooner she would be noticed. Which meant the sooner she could hit up the Gold Swan.

An older gentleman answered the door rather promptly, only to be startled when a package was thrown at him. She grinned up at him and held out her hand for her payment.

“Children these days.” The man grumbled, handing her a few coins. The comment earned him a wicked grin before she scampered off. Delivery done, she had only one other goal to achieve. The tavern.

There wasn’t a tavern in town that didn’t know of Serendipity, for two reasons. One, her Father and his broods were the only Dragons that came to town. And two, she frequented them all for the last few years since she had first been let off her leash. Much to her parent’s exasperation. Not that she cared.

She slammed into the Swan and made for the bar. 

“Good day to you, Missy.” The bar-hand greeted as she climbed onto a stool. She only grinned in response and slammed her coins to the bar top. “The usual, then.” He had been there long enough to know her habits.

Her usual was a sweet apple cider popular with the Elves and the Fae. They always insisted on giving it to her cheap since she was only a girl still. They were unusually kind to her despite her typical street urchin appearance.

She spotted her prey easily. Despite how early it was, a group of Dwarves were gathered around a table close by, drinking. They were all listening to one rave and rant, snickering all the while.

She watched the ranting Dwarf wave his hands wildly, or tug at his long, braided blond beard. He had a leather eye patch and short hair. She couldn’t quite hear what he was going on about despite all his yelling.

“Who are the Dwarves?” She asked as she took her cider with both hands. As she sipped at it the bar-hand frowned at the group.

“Just some traveling trouble makers.” He explained, leaning on the bar with his elbows. “The yelling one is named Dorwin, I think.”

“Dwarves have adventures, right?” She asked, ignoring that last bit of information. What did his name have to do with anything?

“I’m telling you lot, you’re a bunch of fools to be turning away from this treasure.” Yelling Dwarf shouted after his departing company. He was shaking a fist at them.

Serendipity perked up at the mention of treasure.An idea started to form.

She slid off her stool, cup still in hands, making her way over. She watched as he slumped into his seat. one meaty fist clutched his cup and the other yanked at his beard.

“What sort of treasure, Sir?” She asked only to force back a hoot of laughter at the way he shouts and spills his drink. 

“Damn it all.” He shouts at her, fist clutched to his chest. He points at her. ” What’s your game, Woman?”

She sips her drink to hide her grin, stares with large golden eyes. “No game. Only business.”

What business would I have with a Goblin?” Rant-y demands, wiping at his wet shirt.

“ I... Am a Dragon, Sir.” She explains with a curl of her lip. There’s nothing she hates more than not being recognized for what she is. Except maybe the cold.

Sir-Rant-A-Lot’s expression turned pondering. He narrow his eye at her and strokes his beard. This close she can see that it is graying.” What’s in it for you?” He asks right away.

She smiles. That was easier than she thought it would be. “A traveling companion. Maybe a few coins here and there. And I help sniff out your treasure.”

“Quite a bargain. Why should I trust you?”

“Why should I trust you?” She stresses, eyeing him warily, merely for show. She doesn’t fear him. And if he decides no, well, it’s no great loss for her.

He hums, still stroking his beard. She stares at the scars peeking from behind the eye patch. “Dorwin son of Korrin.”

She grins, triumphant, taking his outstretched hand. “Serendipity.”


	2. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serendipity has to say goodbye to her parents.

Their journey doesn’t start until later in the afternoon. Dorwin insists he needs supplies and that he needs to finish up some business in town. He sends her off to settle her own business in the meantime. Not that she has much. She only has to say goodbye to her parents.  
Her trip back to the smithy is quick. She hardly notices she made it at all. It’s the excitement of her burgeoning journey. Her first lone journey. Or rather, the first without any of her family. She’s not counting the crusty, old Dwarf.   
“Pa.” She calls as she enters the smithy. She follows the sound of metal being struck to find him at the forge. Normally, she would offer her own services, Dragon fire creates the best blades, but she had an agenda.  
“Dilly.” Her Pa calls back, not bothering to look up from his own task.  
Taking the nickname as an invitation to approach, she watches, mesmerized by the glowing metal. Steel if her nose is correct. Which of course it is. She grew up here. Her parents made sure she knew everything she could about the business. There wasn’t a material she couldn’t identify by scent alone.  
“What do you need, DIlly?” Pa asks her. And it’s just then, so close to her goal, she feels her chest tighten at the realization she may never come back. She’s only met two of her seven siblings, after all. She may never see her Pa again.  
Her Pa with his long red hair and smooth but scarred green skin. She got his crooked smile and his wicked sense of humor. And the roundness of her face.   
She doesn’t know, at that moment, if she truly is ready to leave her nest.  
“I met a Dwarf, Pa.” She starts, slow and careful. Tasting each word as she says it. “And I may travel with him.”  
Her Pa is silent, still hammering away. He looks up, hammer finally stilling. His black eyes are wide and wet. “It’s that time, then.” Is all he says before reaching over to pull her close.  
Serendipity clutches at his clothing, breathing and smelling at the skin of his throat, as she had done as a nestling. She closes her eyes and tries her hardest to commit his scent to memory. Her eyes tingle and her throat burns in an unfamiliar way. He smells of fire, metal, and Dragon.  
“I will see you again.” He promises, stroking at one of her long, dark braids.  
“How do you know?” She asks, her voice is gravelly rough. Like the time she had eaten a chestnut without shelling it.  
“Because you stayed the longest. And are the only one to say goodbye.” He tells her.  
She hears him breathe against her hair. She chokes on a sob. “Shh, lizard. This will be fun.”  
Serendipity sniffles against his throat, wishing she were just a nestling again and could climb on him as she once had.  
“Now go. You’ll want to say bye to your Father. You know how he is.” He pushes her away with gentle hands. He eyes her critically with shrewd eyes. “Be sure to be careful.”  
“Of course, Pa.” Her grin is wobbly and her gold eyes shine more than usual in the firelight. She scampers off when he waves her away. She wonders if that will be the last time she ever sees her Pa.  
She walks slower from the smithy around to the shop. Once she tells her Father goodbye, she’ll have nothing to keep her there. It’ll be time to go. Time to meet Dorwin at the docks.  
She enters the shop. Business has picked up since the morning and she’ll have to be quick so she doesn’t disrupt anyone. As she passes, some regulars offer her greetings. She waves back, absentminded.  
She finds her Father still manning the desk. He appears to be bored and lethargic. His usual. Father has never been all that excitable. She had gotten it from her Pa.  
Striding up to him, she inserts herself under his arm to get as close as possible. He allows the action as he always has. But will he if they ever meet again? “Father?”  
“Daughter?” He rumbles, eyeing the child clinging to his mother’s skirts as she walks about. He had always found human children messy and distasteful. Pa says he just doesn’t like how they touch everything.  
“I will be taking my leave of you and Pa.” She explains, quiet and shy. She doesn't know how he will take the news.  
“Of course, Daughter. I will wait for your return.” He says, nuzzling her hair. First Pa, and now Father have both insisted she will return. It soothes something deep inside her. “Bring a gift for your Pa.”  
She peers up at him with a sharp grin. “Of course, Father.”  
He releases her. And she is free to go. She walks out the door without looking back, adrift and dazed. Light headed. Her heart feels heavy and she knows deep in her bones. She will return one day. She will not be her elder siblings, wandering aimless and lost.  
She smiles, crooked and sweet. She heads to the docks, ready to go.


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serendipity hates the docks.

In Serendipity’s honest opinion, Little Wander’s docks were overcrowded, fish smelling, and all around just a hellhole of a place. It was filthy everywhere and one was more likely to end up in a ditch than pick pocketed. She didn’t visit the area for a reason.  
The ships, however, were glorious. Small and large, they filled the docks to the brim. She wasn’t even sure why so many foreigners visited Little Wind’s island. There wasn’t anything there anymore. The mines had dried up, and with it, most of the large businesses.  
She picked her way through the crowd, familiar enough with the place to find her way around. Dorwin had said to meet him at the furthest dock to the east. As soon as her business was finished.  
Her business was finished, so she headed over. She could only hope the Dwarf had finished his own. She didn’t fancy standing around waiting for him like an awkward duckling.  
As she walked, she eyed the fish stalls and their screaming keepers. She’s never been fond of fish, despite it being the most common food on the island. She wasn’t fond of how soft the meat was. She wasn’t fond of water itself, either.  
A kid bumped into her and she snapped at him. He squeaked at the sight of her teeth and skittered off. Pick pockets, bah!  
Thanking her Pa for passing on his looks to her, she continued down the street.  
When she finally found her meeting spot, the only one here was a man with a fur cape. A Selkie she realizes only seconds later. He was sleeping propped up in a chair leaning against a support beam She peered closer at him, going so far as to lean into his face. He didn’t even twitch, just kept up the steady, deep breathing of slumber.  
Done with that, she turned her attention to the ship. It wasn’t especially big in her opinion, nor was it small. But she’d never familiarised herself with ships and boats despite living on an island. She’d never been on one. In fact, the only time she had left town was to accompany her parents to the mountains that grew on either side of it. Or one of the small farms that dotted the few fertile areas to be found.  
“Do you need something, Goblin?” A deep, husky voice asked from behind her.  
Serendipity whipped around with her teeth bared. It only earned her a laugh.  
Another Selkie stood next to the sleeping man. He stood tall and brown skinned. His skin was wrapped around himself like a cloak, hood and all.  
“I am a Dragon, thank you.” She hissed with narrowed eyes. Her hands open and close with nerves. She hated being snuck up on.  
The Selkie laughed again and held out a large hand. “You must be one of Guy’s broods. I’m Ari.”  
She eyed Ari with wary eyes before taking his hand. “Serendipity. You know Father?”  
“Oh, yeah. And the rest of your siblings. Pleasure to meet you, finally.” Ari grinned down at her. Letting go of her hand, he kicked the Sleeping Man’s chair with a bare foot. “Wake up, bum.”  
“Fuck off.” Sleeping Man grumbled with a stretch. He settled back down in his chair and looked around. He focused on Serendipity. “Aye, Missy. What can we do for you?”  
“She’s one of Guy’s. You would know that if you had been awake.” Ari told him before turning back to her. “This is my little brother, Lundi. Lundi, that’s Serendipity.”  
She grinned at them, taken in by their easy drawls and relaxed shoulders. She continued to listen to them bicker at each other, content to wait for them to stop, or Dorwin show up.  
“You waiting for a Dwarf?” Lundi asks when he grows bored of his brother. His leg jiggles and he picks at his seal skin as if nervous. His brother is the opposite, relaxed and open.  
“Dorwin, yes.” she tells them and they look at each other with raised brows. “What?”  
“Strange company for a Dragon, is all.” Ari says with a lazy shrug of his shoulders.  
“So? The last I checked, who I travel with is my own business.” She snips, irked by the man’s words. The last she knew, Dragons traveling by ship was strange. A Dragon falling in love with a Goblin was strange. What did these Selkie know?  
“No judgement.” Ari holds his hands in front of himself like a shield. Lundi smiled and nodded at her.  
“Girl!” A familiar voice shouted, accompanied by loud stomping on wood. Dorwin had arrived.  
Serendipity scowled at him. She crossed her arms over her chest, claws digging into the meat. “You know my name, old man.”  
“Psh. You’re a girl, therefore you are Girl.” Dorwin grunts, stroking his long, braided beard. He’s cleaned up since she last saw him. His hair and beard are freshly brushed and he smelled of soap rather than stale ale and sweat. He’s squinting at her with his only eye. “Nothing to bring?”  
She shakes her head. She had no pack, no traveling clothes, and she wouldn’t dare take food that Father and Pa may need. Especially if they planned to nest again now that she was leaving. So, the clothing on her back, a thin tunic and a pair of dirty trousers, would have to do. And she hasn’t worn socks or shoes a day in her life.  
“Suit yourself, Girl.” Dorwin shrugs and peers around at the Selkie brothers. They’ve been watching, the pair silent, without expression. “You two ready to leave?”  
“Whenever you’re ready, Son of Korrin.” Lundi says cheerful out of the blue, hopping up from his chair and picking it up. He slips away to the ship without another word.  
Dorwin follows him at a leisurely pace. Ari hangs back with Serendipity, eyeing her. “You ever been on a ship before, Nestling?”  
Rage boils under her skin and she feels her chest warm. “I haven’t been a nestling in years.” She snips before skittering after Dorwin before she did something rash. It wouldn’t do to set one of the people in control of the ship on fire.  
“You sure you’re ready, Girl?” Dorwin asks with something close to concern in his voice.  
Serendipity smouldered silently in her rage. Too keyed up to answer him right away. “I will make do.” She vows with another scowl. She makes sure to flash some teeth. Anyone that knew her would laugh at the display. But Dorwin doesn’t know her and it works on him, much to her delight.  
“Sure. Don’t ask to borrow my blanket.” Dorwin snorts and heads under deck.  
Serendipity snorts back before skittering to the side rail. She watches as Ari un-moors the ship and climbs aboard.


	4. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first night from home.

The first thing Serendipity learns on her first voyage is that she absolutely despises sailing. She spends the first twenty minutes being ill over the side of the ship. The second is just after that, once she’s done vomiting. She’s freezing. Which prompts her to shift skins. She tried going under with Dorwin, but couldn’t even fit her bulky head through the door. She refused to shift again so soon, so above deck she stayed.  
Lying miserable and still ill with her head over the railing, she listens as the brothers went about their business. They worked seamless to keep the ship moving smooth and on track, and she knew they were using magic to do it. She could smell it in the air.  
She managed a light doze, after a while. Her inner fire keeping her warm enough to be content. In what feels like mere minutes, Dorwin wakes her with a shout.  
“Girl, what in blazes are you doing?” He gripes, shaking a hand to indicate what he meant. He’s got a plate of something in his free hand. Probably fish.  
“Sleeping.” She hisses, the scales of her chest glowing with her inner fire. She opens one large golden eye to peer at him. Her cat like pupils dilating at the sight of the steam coming off the plate.  
“Well. Go back to normal and come down to eat.” He demands. He looks around awkward and hesitant as if out of his element. Though, honestly, how many Dragons has he met let alone ordered around? Could order around?  
Serendipity grumbles at him but does as she is told. She stretches as she comes out of the shift and shivers in the cold. “ Food,” she says as she makes grabb-y hands at him.  
“Clothes.” He insists, holding the plate away from her.  
“Shit head.” She hisses, but again, does as she is told. She’s not happy about it and she makes sure he knows it.  
She pulls on her long tunic and throws her trousers over a shoulder. With that done she turns to Dorwin with wide eyes and a smile that hides her teeth.  
“Fine, you fiend.” Dorwin gives her the plate, rolling his one eye at her crow of delight. He ignores her as she follows him down below.  
Serendipity makes quick work of the fish and whatever the vegetable had been. Despite the unappetizing texture, it had been fantastic. Sadly, she was still hungry. It was just something she would have to get familiar with, she supposed.  
She followed him to his spot on the floor, lamenting again on how she should have brought a blanket at the very least. She narrowed her eyes at his back. He wasn’t looking towards the cloth on the floor and it was on his blind side.  
She stepped lightly behind him where he was digging in his pack, and without a sound, snatched him blanket up.  
As she went to flee, a large paw grasped the back of her tunic and pulled her one her ass. She shrieked as she landed.  
“I think not, Girl.” Dorwin chortled, pulling the blanket from her grasp. “But good try.”  
“Stingy old bastard.” She snarls as she skitters away, empty handed. She’s going to piss in his pack, she decides, as soon as he’s asleep.  
“Useless girl, should have brought your own.” He says. He’s still chuckling to himself as he lays on the floor with his arms under his head.  
Serendipity continues to hiss and snarl as she curls up in a corner, legs tucked under her tunic. She had lost her trousers in the struggle. She wasn’t going back over for them. So she lay on the floor, miserable.  
After a small while, she had managed to doze off once more when a heavy warmth descended on her. She purred and curled up tighter to hide under it. And that's how she slept her first night from home.


	5. 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They have a bit of fun.

The next morning, when Serendipity wakes, she was wrapped in a thick cloth. It smelled of sweat and dirt. Ignoring the smell, she focused on how warm she is and curls even tighter.  
Above her, the sound of intense bickering has picked up, loud enough to hear through the ceiling. She chose not to bother with it either. It would only annoy her to get involved.  
She chooses instead to doze off once more. Only to be shaken awake by Dorwin and his grumbling. She rolls away from him with a full body stretch. Contentment rushes through her as her spine pops.  
“Come along, Girl. TIme to go.” Dorwin says, gruff and no nonsense.   
Serendipity perks up. She has slept through most of the voyage. Perfect, she thought to herself as she rolled out of Dorwin’s blanket.  
The Dwarf continued to grumble to himself as he packed it away. Serendipity bounces to her feet with a wide grin and goes to pull on her forgotten trousers before shooting up the stairs. She doesn’t bother waiting for Dorwin as she goes to see where they’ve docked.  
Up above, Ari and Lundi bicker at each other as they settle the ship. They both yell a greeting when she passes them to the helm. The scene around them is not unlike home, if she is being honest.  
There’s sailors of all sorts running about. She can see a fishers market close by. And all with a mountainous scenery behind it all. The only difference is most of the sailors and people are Dwarves.  
“Welcome to Stone Hollow’s docks.” Dorwin tells her with a slap to her back. Unprepared, it almost takes her off her feet.  
Serendipity peers up at him, curiosity and annoyance warring on her round green face. “Have you been here before?” She asks, face settling on curiosity. She stares at him with wide eyes and her hands tucked behind her back. She rocks on her heels.  
“Yes, this is where I sailed from before. Come along.” He slaps her back again and walks over to Ari. They start discussing something before clasping hands, quick and easy.  
Serendipity watches, snorts at the display, and leaves the ship without a glance back.Her long, pointed ears twitch at the rush of noise that greets her. People all around are talking and shouting to each other. The crowds are thicker than back home. They don’t mind staring at her either, and she finds she does not like it at all.  
“Wait for me before you go running off.” Dorwin says, coming down behind her. They bump shoulders and she is tempted to hide in his shadow.  
“Where are we going first?” She asks, eyeing the staring lot as she follows her companion. Her skin feels tight, as if it doesn’t fit correctly. She wishes she could shift as she would at home. Somehow, she doesn’t think it would help her here.  
“To the city itself.” Dorwin says, pointing to the mountain. He continues to walk, calm and confident. Serendipity envies him at that moment, wishing for the first time in her life that she didn’t appear to be a Goblin.  
But the mention of the city interests her. She focuses on it and grabs the back of Dorwin’s bag so she does not lose him in the crowd. With all the Dwarves running around, it would be a real hassle to find him again.  
“What’s it like? Are you from there?” She asks, excitement coming back to her now that she has an excuse to peer around aimlessly.  
Dorwin chortles at her. “No, I’m from the Crystal Caves.” He tells her. “And this place is alright, I suppose. A bit dull, but the nobles aren’t quite so stuck up.”  
Serendipity grimaces, both at Dorwin and the filth she had just trundled through. Damn Dwarf and his boots. Of course he wouldn’t notice such things.  
“Do you have siblings?” She asks, trying to get as much information as possible while he was in a good mood. Who knows when the next chance would pop up.  
“I do. But I haven’t seen them in decades.” Dorwin says with a shrug, as if it didn’t matter. As if he didn’t care.  
Serendipity cares about her siblings. Even the ones she never met. She also cares that she has only met two of the six of them.  
“Why not?” She asks, frustrated at his lack of care. Frustrated, in that moment, at her brother’s and sister’s lack of care.  
They left the docks and were heading up to the city entrance before he answered again.  
“Sometimes, things just happen.” He says as they wait in the crowd to enter. He sounds sad.  
Serendipity bounces on the balls of her feet, attempting to get a look inside. She almost misses his answer in the noise and chaos around them. She sobers at his words, wondering, for once, if there were actual reasons for her sibling’s lack of visits.  
She stays silent until it is their turn to get in. The guard stops them, pointing at her.  
“What’s your business?” A grizzled Dwarf with a dark beard demands. His companion crosses her arms over her ample chest.  
Serendipity’s ears twitch with nerves and her skin feels tight again. What if they don’t let her in? What should she say? She doesn’t know, so she stays silent. She just stares at them with wide eyes.  
“She’s with me. Business with the archives, mates.” Dorwin comes to her rescue and she’s never been so grateful in her life.  
The woman Dwarf snorts at him. “Goblin interested in the histories?” She asks, disbelieving. Her companion laughs.  
Loudly.  
“What do you take us for?” He asks, one hand going to the short sword at his belt.  
“She’s not a Goblin.” Dorwin says, ignoring the show of aggression with a raised brow. “She’s a Dragon.”  
That garners more laughter, not just from the guards, but from the crowd as well.  
Serendipity grinds her teeth, hiding her face behind Dorwin’s bag. Only to be pulled next to him.  
“Go on then. Show them the truth.” He demands as if she were some sort of pet trained to do tricks.  
She wants to punch him in his face. Furious not just with his tone, but the assumption that she’ll do as he says without question. As if he has any right to order her about.  
She breathes deeply, her chest expanding and glowing with the burn of contained flames. The glow creeps up her throat and smoke wisps through her bared teeth and flared nostrils. Her pupils have narrowed, not unlike a furious cat’s. “No.” She spits, and she can tell the guards saw the burgeoning flames at the back of her throat by the way they pale.  
“It’s alright.” The grizzled Dwarf shouts, waving a hand. His companion nodding her head so hard her red beard waves.  
“Thanks, mates.” Let’s go, Serendipity.” Dorwin says with a chortle. He guides her forward with a sweaty palm between her sharp shoulder blades.  
He stops laughing when they are far enough away the guards won’t hear. “Good job. Nifty trick there, lass.”  
Serendipity is still faintly smoking, her eyes narrow at him, cold and suspicious. “That was uncalled for, Old Man.” She snarls with a flash of teeth. Scales have blossomed over the skin of her chest and throat, giving the areas an emerald cast to them.  
“But it worked. It was fun, admit it.” Dorwin conjoles her with a nudge of their shoulders.  
For a quiet second, Serendipity’s piss poor mood flares before going out. She grins. It had been rather funny to watch them eat their words.  
“I suppose.” She says with a shrug, still grinning. “But next time, I want to set something on fire.”  
Dorwin laughs the full bellied laugh of the truly amused, gripping his stomach with the force of it. “You got a deal, Girl.”


End file.
